The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-11-11
gTEFKRT'S BONES
SUPP. warLlEa TELLS HOW THEY WERE
STOLEN.
Tise Thieves Communicates with Judge
HElron Through Postmaster Jones
aeB0.oOO Demanded for the IienlHins,
which Are Finally Turned Over for
R9o onn.


which are FINALLY Turned Over for
$4,000.
NV YonK, oct. se.-The mystery which
has 20 long enveioned the fEte Of the body
Of the millionaire [irygoudB dealer Alexander
n. Stewart, forms the subject Of n chapter in
superintendent George w. Walltng's book,
sgThs RscoIlectiuns Of n New York Qhiet Of
/ Police, which is soon to be published. The
\ e1-snperintendent Processes to give the only
/ true story Of the stealing Of the body, and
! also alleges that the body WAS subsequently,
returned to representatives OF Judge Hilton.
The remains were first buried in St. marks
| Church yard, corner Of Second avenue and
Tenth street, in an underground vault, the
entrance to which was covered by fagstone'
which in turn was seeded over with the sur
rounding surface SO there Was no outward
evidence Of its location.
| Judge Hilton discovered evidences that
the vault had been tempered with and set a
watch. Az nothing further tra1spireq the
| watch was Withdrawn, and three nights lHter,
| that il on the night OF Nov. @, or the morn
| ing after, the vault was broken open hna NE ti
remains stolen. The judge was hrIlLy u IN, tils
| opinion that the sexton and his assistant had
! hnowlefiFe OF the transaction, but tnls was
! never shown. The Judge at once offered O re-.
/ ward Of S26, 600 for the return o. the BODY
/ ana AllG EQLFAGAAOAA Vi hAAA = Ah-FN AAAaFs%ft
THE first GLEw
1 came from Gen. Patrick Jones, eS-post-
! master Of New York, who not1ned Nailng
| that an eX-soidier who had served under MN
claimed to know. something about tine
1 Stewart body, and with proper encourage
ment would give information leading 70 its
| recovery. The superintendent snbmlgteu
| the offer to Judge Hilton, who DECLARED ne
| would neEer pay one cent for Mr., SteNhrts
bones unless they came accompanied by tho
/ thieves in irons. -
| Gen. Jones was persistant and wanted to
work up the case and arrange for buying tne
body. He showed letters from the thieves,
and few days later gave to the police
pRckaRe expressed TO him from Boston, con-
tanning a coffin plate, which Was ldentlned
by the enRFRver who had done tine work,
| To complete their identification the rob
| l)ers sent a piece of paper that fitted exactly
tue hole in the velvet cover Of the coffin, cut
ont by the thieves when the body was re-
moved, This Il now in the hands of Sexton
Hamil and the cOthn-plate 10 AZ ponce mead
JndGe Hilton remained unalberable and the
case was dropped by the authorities, but con-
tinued by private detectives. Mrs stewart
TO RECOVER THE BODY.
Learning this fact the robbers opened cor
respOndenee with her directly No trace OF
the body or thieves WasfUund until January,
Wien Gen. Jones called at the headuuar-
tiers, he brought with him o. parcel which
!
handles belonging 70 the coffin in which the
body had been buried He also showed some
letters which he had received. They pur;
ported to have been written ten m SaIlaaa' ana
With the first letter 0 hundred doilat-1lIi
was inclORed Aa q retainer for hlm to act "a
attorney forthe return Of the body upon the
payment Ofs25O, 600. The letter then went
T on to tell the hour at which the body was
taken, how it MIS- incloRed in o Zinc-llned
trunk and taken to Canada and buried. Ii
70 said the
FEATURES WERE PERFECTLY PRESERVED,
except the eyes. This was the letter which
inclOsed the bit OF paper, corresponding tc
the size of the hole i'll the velvet and prom
iBed, II further prUU was required, 70 seno
the coffin plate upon tho insertion in the Neg
! York Herald on these words, Canada, SEND
This was done, and under date of Boston,
! Jan. 81, 1879 q letter Gang saying tb,
; scrutiny of customs officials on the CanadisI
I border. The plate was received and ldeltH
! fed. Gen. Jones was instructed, ~ cas-
! the relatives were ready to negotiate for tn,
l remains to lnsert this personal IN the Herald
.Cnnadl--Will do business. Counsel"
I This WAS done at Judge Hiltou's request
The reply which came from Boston on tht
J 18th OF February set forth the terms upon
which the body would be restored. The!
! were 90 follows:
{ 2. The body win be delivered to yoprsel
9 and Judge Hilton within twenty-five mileb o
4 the CITY Of Montreal, and no other persoi
a s. The money to be placed in your hand O.
= under your control until Judge Hilton /
+ fully satisfied, Hhenyou Will deliver 1t TO N!
4. Both parties b maintain forever IN
= broken silence in regard to the transaction
: Judge Hilton refused to sgree to the term
y proposed, and further declined 10 neR0tlHt
i through the medium Of pGrsonals." Re
B maine Was then written to, Gen. Jones IN
. forming him Ok the condition Of things, III
+ reply was soon received, ordering nj J0pe
l. to break of all communication with Judg
y Hilton and open negotiations with Mr.
u No notice was taken Of this request, but i
: March Judge Hilton made an offer Of S25,
' 900 for the body, Gen. Jones made the fac
g known to ROnaine, who respectfully by
e firmly declined. IhiB Closed the correspond
Z ence.
p THE RoBBERs BEcoAiIS0 DISCOURAGED
I now offered TO sell the body for 81 90, OoC
y Mrs. Stewart was willing, and ordered he
Il representatives to pay the amount. The
q delayed matters until the figure was reduce
n to $40, 600, which wAs accepted,
y The conditions of delivery were severe
Y The messenger with the money waR to leay
N New York City at 10 p. IN. alone, in o ono
Il horse wagon, and drive into Westcheste
= county, along a lonely road, which was ind
! Gated on a map sent by the thieves som
q time before morning, II the man WAS actin
" in good faith, and was not aeegompanied G
4 given further directions.
Il youag relatlye Of Mrs, Stewart III
"A dertooll the hazardous errand.
scI Two or three times during thenlght he VS.
n certain that he was closely watched, but
\. was O'Clock when . masked hOrsenan rod
"A up, gave the signal agreed on, and turn9
Il the buggy up lonely lane,
4, i The strange visitor here left him, directin
i him to drive on. At the end of another mi
n he became awGre that another wagon VT
ID blocking the way. He paused a naske
man promptly appeared aud brought forWar
le bag TO his buggy sayinGp
O. HERE IT is;
III where's the money!" .....
IN where's the proof of idsntityfn aske
3 ne messsagf5, az she Bag CONTAINING e
into the buggy. Here " said the Othsl
holding up an irregular bit Of velvet an
opening 9 bulls eye lantern with a click.
10 The niece was eompared with bif,af pRpC
~ of the same shape which the New Yorker ha
E brought with him TO this lonely spot.
y Come, harry MP, {" was the comlasnf
Y, Il money and the robbers retired d few feet AZ
counted il BY the Light Of Their lariseTl
"a Then they moved of TO their vehicle and3t
10 messenger Of Mrs. Stewart droyeoff the Va
" Next night freight cor went out to Ca
ns den City containing pothing but q tru4
he and with it . man who had spent the pr
"a Yloua night in the loneiest part OF IVES
u / chester county. An empty eoliin had bee
VI already deposited in tie cathedral, and
"a the dead Of night two men transferred ii
y body IA it from the trunk. They tben plaet
Nj the coffin in an inaccessible vault benea
y y II any one s5ould ever again touch unbi
n merchant.mi hoDaires the touch would I
le 4 Lease hidden spring which would shake n
W chimes til the f0Wer and send an instai
il aiarri throughout the town.
d ALiyELY FIGHT.
n y